Long Covid symptoms ease after vaccination, survey finds

COVID-19 vaccines tend to alleviate the symptoms of long Covid, according to a large survey of more than 800 people that suggests mRNA vaccines, in particular, are beneficial.

Although COVID-19 was initially understood to be a largely respiratory illness from which most would recover within a few weeks, as the pandemic wore on increasing numbers of people reported experiencing symptoms for months on end. There is no consensus definition of the condition of these people who have symptoms ranging from chronic fatigue to organ damage, let alone a standardised treatment plan.

As vaccines hit the mainstream, concerns arose that vaccination could precipitate relapses or a worsening of symptoms. But conversely, anecdotal reports suggested that vaccines helped some people with long Covid.

The analysis, which is yet to be peer reviewed, was conducted on the basis of a survey of 812 people (mostly white, female participants) with long Covid in advocacy groups in the UK and internationally who were contacted via social media. The participants (a small proportion of whom also said they had ME/CFS) were asked to wait at least a week after their first dose to avoid their responses conflating with side-effects of the vaccine.

In general, those who received mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) reported more improvements in symptoms, compared with those who got an adenovirus vaccine (Oxford/AstraZeneca). In particular, those who received the Moderna vaccine were more likely to see improvements in symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and muscle pain, and less likely to report a deterioration, the analysis found.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 18 May 2021